Whilst it may be an oversimplification, it is nevertheless true to say that after only one day, it has become a group joke that our happy band actually consists of two distinct groups: those with a thirst for technical specification of this form of construction and those who hunger for a better understanding of its qualities.

Although it would be unkind to single any individuals out, it may be reasonable to suggest the ‘Artist Camp’ exhibited greater enthusiasm for the concept of ‘chi’, a building’s relationship with natural life sources, whereas the ‘Builders’ conceded the existence of sick building syndrome and appreciated the benefits of using natural, locally-sourced materials such as mud, but were happy to leave it at that.

Photo by Marcin Bas

Several points arose during the day where a clear frustration emerged from the builders’ camp at our teacher’s lack of appreciation for the use of lime in construction and therefore his surrender to the use of durable render-coat finish to apply to his mud daub; a search which was taking him towards the use of blood and sand and cheese, ‘shit’ and flour! Some have said he requires a Eureka moment as surely he can’t run a small building business on the basis that the outer walls require a fresh slurry coat every two years. Indeed, from a personal view, and fresh from our straw bale build in Ludlow, the South Shropshire contingent are as yet unconvinced that the light clay blocks have any intrinsic benefit over the use of baled straw. They are extremely labour-intensive and therefore costly to produce – about 1.50 each – the same as a much larger straw bale – and they cannot be/are not used structurally, only as infill panels.

Photo by Dan Roberts 

We have however been impressed by the use of small-section timber in the curved compound roof structures, reminiscent of the Segal school of building developed in the 60’s, or indeed the older ‘Belfast’ roofs of the post-war period in England.

This appeared to us as having two benefits: 1) creating a new opening for the use of local softwood and system production in South Shropshire and 2) the use of straw as an insulating material in the roofs of houses in the same way that we have seen the clay blocks used here today. Perhaps this was our Eureka moment. I am not sure, but with two more mornings ahead, tramping clay in bare feet and learning how to form and store blocks, it might just be that none of this is necessary with straw!

Jake